09/09/2013

Decisions, decisions

ANN ARBOR - Brady Hoke had something to say about Devin Gardner's decision to make a throw, a questionable moment in the fourth quarter of Michigan's 41-30 win over Notre Dame.

Hurried by Notre Dame safety Austin Collinsworth (the son of former NFLer and current NBC football commentator Cris Collinsworth), Gardner fell backwards in the end zone and released the ball ... which ended up in Stephon Tuitt's hands for a touchdown.

After the win, Gardner called it a "horrible decision." Hoke on Monday called it "a bad decision."

The turnover brought Notre Dame within a touchdown of Michigan, and even closer after Kyle Brindza's field goal. But even after Michigan responded with Drew Dileo's touchdown with less than five minutes left in the fourth, the play was still being broken down, less than two days after the fact.

"Take the safety," Michigan's coach said Monday. "Walk away and let the defense go play defense.

"Superman has to be smart, too. He doesn't eat kryptonite."

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A reporter asked if Hoke had heard the "Chicken Dance" being played following the win over Notre Dame.

Hoke said he didn't.

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Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said this morning that Saturday's game won't be the last night game Michigan Stadium will host, but don't expect Michigan State or Ohio State to play in the next night game in Ann Arbor. From the Detroit News:

“We have a lot of other important, big-time brands in the conference that people would enjoy seeing at night. Wisconsin enjoys bringing us to Madison at night, Penn State loves bringing us to their place at night, and Northwestern took us to their place at night,” Brandon said. “These schools see importance in playing us at night at their places, so once in a while we’ll let them see what that’s like at Michigan Stadium.”